Would you like to go gravel biking in the beautiful Drenthe? That’s a good idea. The province of Drenthe is rich in beautiful gravel routes. Not only National Park De Drentsche AA or the Dwingelderveld, but the rest of the region also offers beautiful gravel paths. In our 12 months, 12 parks, 12 provinces collaboration with Landal we are based in Orvelte, in the beautiful Landal Orveltermarke. This park is the ‘gateway to gravel heaven’ in Drenthe. We have created two beautiful gravel routes in Drenthe for you.
On to the Drentsche Aa
On Saturday morning, a crisp October morning, it’s time for the first reconnaissance round. The route I’ve made takes me through the Schoonloo forest towards Borger. If you drive this route in the summer, the ice cream parlor in Borger is your place to be. According to their own words and the jury, it’s the best ice cream parlor in Drenthe. In my ode to the Drenthe Villages, I’ve already been in the neighborhood. So I can only confirm that the ice cream is really delicious. Cycling route in Drenthe: A tribute to the Drenthe villages.
Back to the start of the route for a moment. Via the edge of Orvelte I head towards Schoonloo. Although according to the map the Drentsche Aa National Park lies much further north, there is already a ‘Welcome’ sign here. I’m surprised but also happy. This promises a beautiful route ahead! Through the forest here you ride on wonderful gravel paths. Long and straight, sometimes overgrown cobbled tracks, then real wet sandy stretches. It had frozen the night before and the cold north wind that day makes for beautiful scenes, but also a cold ride. It may be the sparsely populated region, or the weather, but I meet very few people. Let alone cyclists. That is what makes this route and this area so nice. You can still be alone here for a while.
Even completely alone..
There are many ways to enjoy the outdoors. On my adventurous route, a bit of ‘hike a bike’ is part of the fun. During that little hike, I also see the typical ‘cabiner’ houses. Here you can be completely alone. Except for those crazy gravel bikers who come everywhere. After Borger, the trail continues through the forest reserves. Exloo and Odoorn are also on the route. It’s a real treat. After more than 43 kilometers and two hours of hiking, I wheel my bike back into the park. My family is waiting for me eagerly, because when Dad returns, it’s swimming time! That’s great, isn’t it?.
Day 2 – a long tour through West-Drenthe
What a difference a day makes, they sometimes say. Where on Saturday I would still show up with buffs, overshoes, a head cap and thick winter clothes, on Sunday it’s almost springlike. What a difference! For this ride I brought the summer pants with leg pieces. That’s a perfect choice, because it’s almost 15 degrees that day. The difference is bizarre.
For the gravel route, it ultimately doesn’t matter much. We head back from the start towards Orvelte, but then we take a nice loop through the Sleenerzand towards Aalden and Nieuw-Ballinge. It won’t surprise you, but here too the most beautiful gravel stretches are waiting to be explored. Drenthe has so much to offer for the gravel lover. Even off the well-known and marked trails. We then drive past the canal, where partly gravel and partly asphalt paths are located. It’s nice to ride along here, then you can combine it with friends on a race bike.
Stopover at the Klipper
You can sometimes be surprised, especially in Drenthe. The number of coffee stops is limited when you cross the forests. So on our gravel route through the west of Drenthe, we take the first and best opportunity. At about 50 kilometers from the total 75 kilometers, we pass through Zwiggelte. There we stop at Restaurant de Klipper. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary village pub. Usually the most exotic thing on the menu is a cappuccino. Here, there is no oat milk latte. But we are pleasantly surprised. Inside, the staff greets us warmly. To be honest, the average age of the clientele is quite low. The menu offers much more than just coffee with milk. As a bonus, there is a real Christmas market, which the owner is enthusiastically promoting: ‘so much fun, all made by local people, really cozy.’ The photo speaks for itself. The coffee with the apple pie (made by myself) and the alcohol-free liqueur are delicious.
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Back in the woods again
After the obligatory visit to the market (which is actually quite nice), we set off again. The best part of the route is still ahead of us. The forest ranger at Hooghalen is worth visiting by taking a detour. But there is also a bit of dark history of the Netherlands to be found here. The forests of Hooghalen also contain the Former camp Westerbork. This ‘Durchgangslager’ was used by the German occupiers to prepare transports to places like Auschwitz and Sobibor. There is a long path with memorial markers for almost all the transports. These are not just markers, but old railway sleepers, at the place where the railway ran. The dates speak for themselves. We pause for a moment, not only to look but also out of respect for the many people who began their final journey here. In total, more than 100,000 people were transported here.
Repackaging
Personally, I find places like this very impressive. I can sometimes not believe that humans can be so heartless towards others. That you know that you are literally going to kill 100s of people. But unfortunately war and a created system bring out the worst in people. We don’t have to think about that anymore as we continue to walk through the forests. Because our route is almost over. We are driving part of the route from day one in the opposite direction. So we go through Schoonloo again and back to the park. You can say what you want, but this gravel route in Drenthe It really deserves a high spot on your to-do list.
The park and our accommodation
The park Orveltermarke Located a few kilometers outside Orvelte. This museum town is definitely worth a visit, but if you’re looking for a supermarket, you’ll find one in the nearby Westerbork. Here you’ll also find some nice eateries for a bite to eat and a drink. The park is therefore located on the outskirts, but is very spacious. There are two large reception buildings. In one of them you’ll find the reception, the restaurant and the swimming pool. In the other building there’s a snack bar, the children’s entertainment area and the large indoor playground. By the way, there’s also a washing area for the bikes here. Handy!
The house is a beautiful 6-person bungalow. We are four people, so there is plenty of room. There is also a small shed where you can store your bike. A wonderful stay makes for a lovely weekend cycling in Drenthe and the surrounding area.
Landal Orveltermarke – Gravel routes in Drenthe
In the collection below you will find all the routes we have created in collaboration with Landal for our 12 months – 12 provinces – 12 parks partnership. Not only gravel routes, but also race bike routes, all over the country. Take advantage of them! In this collection you will also find the gravel routes in Drenthe that we have cycled.
The route from this story
- Gravel route through Schoonloo43.3 km · 18 hmGPX ↓
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.